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F. H. RICHARDS. REGULATOR FOR GRAIN SCALES.

95 1 ,og I W 110.410.1 16. Patented Aug. 27 1889.

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F. H. RICHARDS.

REGULATOR FOR GRAIN SCALES.

No. 410,116. Patented Aug. 27 1889."

P I L WWI 111, llmlllllifk I f UNITED STATES PATENT 'QFFICE.

FRANCIS II. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PRATT &WHITNEY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

, REGULATOR FOR GRAIN-SCALES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,116, dated August27, 1889.

Application filed November 9,1888. Serial No. 290,393- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Regulators for Grain-Scales, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to regulators for automatically controlling theoperation of automatic grain-weighing machines, and more especially whenthese are operated in connection with some grain-working machineas, forinstance, a roller-mill-the object being to regulate the supply of grainto a grainreceiving machine of a given capacity by re tarding, asrequired, the operation of a grain scale or meter of relatively largercapacity arranged to deliver grain to said receivingmachine.

To this end the invention consists in the improvements hereinaftermorefully set forth.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a regulatorapparatus embodying my improvements. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are similar viewsof the prin cipal parts of the apparatus shown in the preceding figureand illustrate the mode of operation of said apparatus. --1 Fig. 5 showsa modification of the construction shown in the previous figure.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

My improved regulator apparatus is adapted to be used in connection withautomatic grain-scales generally, and especially in connection with theimproved grain-scale or grain-meter which is described in the priorapplication of C. H. Cooley, (to which I have permission to refer,)Serial No. 262,850, filed February 3, 1888; and in this presentapplication such details and parts as are common to both of saidapplications are generally designated by the same characters.Accordingly the following part-s are or may be the same parts as aresimilarly designated in the said prior application, to wit: thegrainscale frame 4, the double-chambered grainbucket G, the supplyhopper or chute H, shaft '7 2, arm or arms 96, carrying theregulator-valve 95, the vertically-movable regulator-hopperP, pivotallysupported at 91 by the framework and having the lever L, the connectionsbetween the lever L and said valve 95, consisting of rod 97, pivoted tothe lever at 98, and at 99 to an angle-lever 100,

that is pivoted at 101 to the frame-work and connected by rod 102 to thevalve, and the fixed conduit 93, located below the opening N of hopperP. The necessary and usual means for carrying and operating the grainfbucket are not shown in this application.

The pipe 93 leads downward to the receiving-chamber C of a roller-millM, or other grain-working machine or apparatus that is to be fullysupplied with grain by the said" conduit 93. Such machines orapparatuses" have in practice a substantially regular capacity or rateof consumption, which is uncertain in amount, or which varies accordingto the variation in kind of the grain supplied thereto, or according tothe conditions under which or the speed at which the mechanism isoperated. For instance, roller-mills of, the same kind and size varysomewhat in their actual capacity or product, and the same mill mayusually be adjusted to give varying results in quality of grinding, witha corresponding variation in theirconsumption of grain. 5 i

It is found desirable in practice, and principally for the reasons setforth, to employ a grain-scale (when an automatic grain-scale is used)of a normal capacity somewhat in excess of the maximum capacity of themachine M; but to successfully operate such automatic grain-scale forsaid purposes it is found to be necessary, in order to obtainsatisfactory results, to employ a sensitive and efficient automaticregulator to properly retard and control the operation of said scale. Toattain this result by means of a simple and practical apparatus is theprincipal object of my present invention.

Under the discharge-opening N of the hopper P the conduit-pipe 93 isfurnished with some suitable receiving tunnel or hopper, as 50, intowhich the grain is discharged from said opening. On the under side ofthe hopper P, surrounding said opening N, there is a depending andsubstantially rigid guard pipe 91, whose form or longitudinal directionis in a line coinciding with the line of move foo ment of the saidhopper P. By this means, and by reason of the part 94 being made thinenough, the said grain-dividing guard-pipe, which is usually made ofsheet-steel and of firm construction, is readily forced down into themass of grain 120 whenever the hopper descends from its position in Fig.1 to that in Fig. 2, this hopper movement being effected by the mass ofgrain in said hopper P outside of the opening N.

It will be remembered that the bucket G discharges its loads of grainintermittently into the hopper P, from whence the grain passes downthrough the opening N, and through pipe 93 into the normallyoversupplied receiving-chamber G. Since the normal grain-dischargingcapacity of bucket G is greater than the actual grain-receiving capacityof machine M, it follows that said pipe 93, when once filled,will bekept full of grain,

as indicated at 120, so that as long as the grain-scale is operating themachine M is normally oversupplied with grain. Supposing, now, the pipe93 and the hopper P to have been filled, if the supplyis then cut offwhile the machine M continues in operation, the grain then runs down, asindicated at 125, Fig. 1, and the said hopper rises, as there shown,being lifted by the counterbalanceweight 92. In doingthis, however, theconnections hereinbefore described draw back the regulator-valve 95 fromunderneath the chute H, which allows the grain to fill bucket G, andthus operate the grain-scale. On receiving its complete load said grainbucket dischar es the same into-the said hopper P, as indicated at 130in Fig. 2, and by thus heavily loading that hopper (by one or morebucketloads) carries down the same, as in Fig. 3, thereby reverselyoperating valve 95, and again cutting off the supply of grain to thegrain-bucket.

guard-pipe 94, in connection with grainreceiving conduit below saidpipe, is a peculiar feature of my improvement. Under the conditionsexisting in this apparatus I find the 3 guard-pipe 94, filled as it iswith grain, to permit of that comparatively free movement of theregulator-hopper P which is necessary for properly working theregulator-valve.

The mode of operation above described appertains to the apparatusconstructed in any of the forms shown in the drawings; but the formshown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, embodies another feature. According tothis part of my invention the hopper P is pivotally supported above theopening of conduit 93, and

the pipe'94 isma de curved concentric to said 1 pivotal support.Consequently the lower edge 52 of said guard-pipe has a lateral as wellas a vertical movement. This is shown by comparison of Figs. 1 and 2. InFig. 1 the distance through the grain on. line 53 is about equal to thewidth of pipe 94, while in Fig. 2

said distance is about one-half as much as in Fig. 1. The effect istherefore to vary the outlet for the grain according to the position ofthe hopper, the outlet being much reduced when the hopper is down, as inFigs. 1 and 2. The result of this variation is twofoldfirst, to reducethe rate of discharge from the hopper P into the conduit 93 while thesaid hopper stands lowered, and, second, to increase the rate of suchdischarge during the upward movement of the hopper. As a consequence ofthese features, when the hopper is once loaded and carried down, as inFig. 2, it naturally remains down until the grain is well lowered inconduit 93, as shown in Fig. 3, leaving a considerable clear space at55, and the slow discharge of grain through the reduced space 54requires a longer time than would otherwise be required for the hopper Pto be sufficiently unloaded to be raised again by weight 92, and whenthe time arrives, as shown in Fig. 4, that the said hopper begins to'rise' the widening opening 56 instantly (and constantly during saidmovement) increases the rate of discharge from the hopper. This actionat once fills the space 55, (between the upper and lower limits 57 and58, respectively,) thereby lightening the load in the hopper P by thequantity held in said space 55, regardless of and without the aid of thedownward movement of the grain in the conduit 93, and the hopper P,being thus suddenly and certainly lightened by (relatively) so. great aquantity, when it once starts up, immediately and quickly completes itsupward stroke, thereby at once and fully opening the regulator-valve andstarting the grain-scale into operation at its normal speed. This resultis in practice of much importance in this delicate class of automaticmachines, in which the error or variation of weighing is I required tobe .within the one-tenth part of The operation of the hopper P and ofthe one per centum of the total quantity weighed, for it is consideredestablished that a varia tion in the speed of the weighing-machine willto some extent vary the weight of the bucketdoad. By my improvements,there fore, not only is the quantity of grain to be T discharged dulyregulated, but greater accu racy of the weighing is also insured.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the 0011 duit 93 is set toward oneside of the guardpipe, and the latter is arranged to co-operate with oneside of the tunnel 50 for effecting the said purpose. By the verticalmovement of said guard-pipe the discharge-opening 60 will be increasedor diminished similarly as described with respect of the form ofapparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. In this modification shownin Fig. 5 the levers L (one on either side of the hopper) are pivoted at91 to the frame-work, and the hopper P is pivoted at to the levers.(Only one lever L is shown.) The said hopper is held in an uprightposition by a connecting-rod IIO 110, rigidly fixed thereto at 111 112and 0011- nected at its upper end 11 1 to the arm 115 on thevalve-shaft.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a regulator forgrain-scales, the combination of the regulator-hopper verticallymovable, substantially as described, the fixed receiving-conduit belowsaid hopper, and the guard-pipe depending from said hopper and having amotion in said conduit toward and from one side thereof, whereby theoutlet from said hopper is reduced on the downward movement thereof, allsubstantially as described.

2. In a regulator for grain-scales, the combination of the oscillatinghopper pivoted near one side thereof, the fixed receivingconduit belowsaid hopper, and the curved guard-pipe depending from said hopperconeentrically to the pivot thereof and arranged to move toward and fromone side of said conduit, whereby the outlet from the hopper is reducedon the downward movement thereof, all substantially as described.

3. In a regulator apparatus, the combinawhen once begun is fullycompleted, all sub stantially as described.

4. In a regulator apparatus, the combination of the pivotally-supportedregulator-hopper P, having the discharge-opening N, the conduit 93 belowsaid opening, and having the tunnel 50, and the curved guard-pipe 94,

surrounding said opening and depending into the tunnel of said conduit,substantially as shown and described.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS.

\Vitnesses:

SAML. W; PO'WEL, HENRY L. RECKARD.

